Easy Healthy Banana Protein Muffins Recipe
Quick, easy, and healthy banana protein muffins made completely gluten-free. Packed with protein from Greek yogurt and vanilla protein powder, then baked into soft, sweet, nutritious muffins! A high-protein breakfast option, a healthy snack, or a simple sweet treat!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Makes This Recipe Great
A healthy muffin?! While that seems like a contradiction, this delicious recipe is proof that muffins can indeed be healthy! A simple, easy muffin batter transformed into light and fluffy banana protein muffins in just 30 minutes. Made with wholesome ingredients, these healthy protein muffins are the perfect snack for any sweet tooth.
Even better, these tasty treats are a freezer-friendly, make-ahead breakfast or snack for kids and adults! Packed with Whey protein powder, greek yogurt, gluten-free flour, and natural sweeteners, these ooey gooey chocolatey muffins are healthy without tasting healthy. Ya know what I mean?! Let’s get baking!
If you love tasty recipes that are packed with protein, try my protein pancakes, this protein mug cake, or my new protein-baked oatmeal!
Recipe Highlights
- Added Protein: Rather than empty calories, carbs, and sugar, these scrumptious banana muffins are packed with protein to give that needed nutrition in a delicious way!
- Quick & Easy: Simple ingredients and 30 minutes is all you need!
- Healthy: Made without any refined sugar or gluten, these delicious muffins are a healthy breakfast or snack!
- Kid-Friendly: Keep a stash in the freezer for an easy, on-the-go breakfast for you or the kids. Everyone will love them!
Ingredient Notes
- King Arthur gluten-free 1:1 flour: You can substitute this for Bob’s Red Mill or another brand, but make sure it’s “measure for measure” or 1:1 flour (all-purpose flour). If you aren’t gluten-free, you can substitute all-purpose wheat flour, if desired. Keep in mind that these will not be as “healthy”.
- protein powder: I like Be Well by Kelly in vanilla. But you can use whey protein, plant-based protein, or whatever your favorite is.
- flax seed meal
- coconut sugar
- pure maple syrup
- ripe bananas: These don’t have to be overripe bananas as you’d use for banana bread, but the riper the banana, the more banana flavor and sweetness you’ll get.
- egg: Let your egg get to room temperature before mixing it into the muffin batter.
- plain Greek yogurt: You can use full-fat or non-fat, depending on your preference and nutritional needs.
- vanilla extract
- dark chocolate chips: I like Enjoy Life or Hu chocolate chips.
- baking powder
- salt
Recipe Step by Step
- Preheat oven to 375. Spray a muffin tin with oil or line each muffin cup with muffin liners.
- Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, protein powder, and flax seed meal) in a small mixing bowl and mix.
- Combine the sugar, mashed bananas, egg, greek yogurt, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir. Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the mixture.
- Spoon into the muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for a few minutes before removing. Serve with a shmear of peanut butter, if desired!
Swaps & Substitutions
- Feel free to omit the chocolate chips if desired. Instead, add some chopped walnuts or blueberries, or whatever muffin mix-in is your favorite.
- For dairy-free, swap the greek yogurt for a non-dairy yogurt option and use a dairy-free protein powder. You can also use 1/2 cup applesauce, although this will lower the amount of protein in the recipe.
- For vegan muffins, you can try an egg replacement like Bob’s Red Mill or a flax egg. Use a vegan protein powder as well.
- For an added chocolate-y flavor, use chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla.
Serving Tips
- Serve these banana protein muffins warm on their own, or with a bit of peanut butter for some extra protein. I also love them cold out of the refrigerator!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or a week in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, let the protein banana muffins cool completely, and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or freezer bag. You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or warm them up in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
These protein banana muffins can get dry if too much protein powder is added. Make sure to follow the recipe as written. Baking is a science and too much moisture (or not enough!) can really mess things up!
There are 7 grams of protein in each muffin!
Boxes of muffin mix are measured and tested with the exact ingredients listed on the box. If you add extra dry ingredients, they could turn out dry. Unless you are a skilled baker and know how to adjust the wet ingredients to offset the added protein powder, I would recommend not doing this. Also, muffin mixes aren’t made with as of healthy ingredients as this recipe.
You could! The cooking times would need to be adjusted accordingly, as muffins bake much faster than a loaf. If you try this, let me know how it turns out in the comments!
Try These Healthy Muffin Recipes
Healthy Banana Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups King Arthur Gluten Free 1:1 Flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp protein powder
- 1 tbsp flax seed meal
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Spray a muffin tin with oil or line with liners.
- Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, protein powder and flax seed meal) in a small bowl and mix.
- Combine the sugar, bananas, maple syrup, egg, greek yogurt, and vanilla in another bowl and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir. Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the mixture.
- Spoon into the muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for a few minutes before removing. Serve with a shmear of peanut butter, if desired!
Video
Notes
Swaps & Substitutions
- Feel free to omit the chocolate chips if desired. Instead, add some chopped walnuts or blueberries, or whatever muffin mix-in is your favorite.
- For dairy-free, swap the greek yogurt for a non-dairy yogurt option and use a dairy-free protein powder.
- For vegan muffins, you can try an egg replacement like Bob’s Red Mill or a flax egg. Use a vegan protein powder as well.
- For an added chocolate-y flavor, use chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla.
Serving Tips
- Serve these muffins warm on their own, or with a bit of peanut butter for some extra protein. I also love them cold out of the refrigerator!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature, or a week in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, let the protein banana muffins cool completely, and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or warm them up in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
46 Comments on “Easy Healthy Banana Protein Muffins Recipe”
I have made these 3-4 times now and I am hooked! Whenever I have some bananas going brown, this is the first thing that comes to mind to make. I am very active and have a 9 month old who I am still nursing, so I am always looking for ways to be intentional about upping my protein intake! Thanks for the delicious and fool proof recipe!
Thanks Kaley!!
Can you use more maple syrup instead of the sugar?
It may work but it could change the texture a bit!
Made these today…as usual, just delicious! Thank you, Mary for another great recipe!
Thanks Danielle!
Made these today. So yummy and fluffy! Will be making these next time I have ripe bananas.
Thanks Jillian!
Just made them and they are delicious! I did skip the coconut sugar and used unsweetened applesauce instead to cut down on sugar and they are still so yummy!
So glad to hear it worked with less sugar!